Honeyeaters and Their Winter Food Plants on Granite Rocks in the Central Wheatbelt of Western Australia.

Abstract

In the winters of 1978 and 1979 at 32 granite rocks in the central wheatbelt of Western Australia 11 honeyeater species were encountered. Brown honeyeaters Lichmera indistincta were the most widespread and locally common; white-fronted honeyeaters Phylidonyris albifrons and New Holland honeyeaters P. novaehollandiae were also locally common. Red wattlebirds Anthochaera carunculata and spiny-cheeked honeyeaters A. rufogularis, the largest species seen, were very few on the rocks where they occurred. A number of the dominant shrubs and mallees in the vegetation fringing granite rocks, including species of Calothamnus, Eucalyptus (Myrtaceae), Grevillea and Hakea (Proteaceae), constituted the winter food plants of, and appeared to be pollinated by, the honeyeaters. The possible advantages of bird pollination to these plants are briefly considered.